Coulson drifts into international race

WHEN Nick Coulson entered the motor sport of drift racing, it wasn't long before competitors knew him as 'Drift Kid'.

Exploding onto the racetrack at the age of 15, Coulson was mixing it with the pros before he even had a driver's license.

Four years later, the former Forest Lake College student is poised to become one of the best drifters Australia has ever seen.

Coulson will represent his country in the upcoming World Time Attack Tectaloy International Drift Challenge in Eastern Creek next Friday.

The competition is the biggest drift event in Australia and attracts drivers from Japan and New Zealand.

It will be the second time the 18-year-old has taken part, competing last year as the youngest drifter in the challenge.

Coulson said the biggest difficulty with last year's race was adapting to Eastern Creek's high-speed track.

"It was a bit hard preparing for a track like that as we don't really have anything that compares with it in the area," Coulson said.

"But now that I've had the experience, I have learned from my mistakes and hope to build on my performance."

With a field including Red Bull driver 'Mad' Mike Whiddett and JDM All Stars champion Luke Fink, Coulson said the competition would be fierce.

"I'm going up against drivers I have known and admired for years," he said. "It's always a strange feeling to be competing against them."

No longer a boy behind the wheel, Coulson said his team sometimes joked at the idea of changing his name to 'Drift Man'.

"But I really don't feel that nickname has the same ring to it," he said.

With a focus on drift racing and a dream to one day compete overseas, Couslon said his team were now looking for a naming rights sponsor for the 2013 pro season.

To contact the team or for more information visit www.driftkid.com